


Monkey Wrench

by blackmariahlee



Series: The Serpent and the Lion [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Aurors, Background Relationships, Death Eaters, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Mild Language, Past Child Abuse, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Sexual Identity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2019-11-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:54:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21587935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackmariahlee/pseuds/blackmariahlee
Summary: Now that they are no longer fighting for their lives, more mundane concerns come to the forefront for Harry Potter. Does he still have a girlfriend? Does he have a boyfriend? Is his not boyfriend going to jail? What does it mean that he enjoys kissing Draco Malfoy? And what does all of this mean for his life moving forward? A wise man lets him know that it's okay not to have all of the answers.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Series: The Serpent and the Lion [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1538254
Comments: 8
Kudos: 157





	Monkey Wrench

**Author's Note:**

> I just want to say thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to everyone who has read the first two installments of this series. I am overwhelmed by the response. I just got into this pairing and had to write one fic. And then an actual, honest to God PLOT started and I am just so glad that people seem interested! This is part three of the series The Serpent and the Lion. I would suggest reading the first two parts first.

Harry pushed his hair out of his face for the fifth time in as many minutes. Maybe his decision to attempt to grow it out had been a bad idea. But  honestly he wanted to find a way to distinguish this version of himself from the version that had walked into the Forbidden Forest to die. The easiest way to do that was to either shave his head or grow out his unruly hair. The idea of getting rid of it all had been tempting. But it would leave his scar on full display. 

He shook his hair out of his eyes with a growl of frustration and sighed. Maybe he should take a break. Harry had spent the better part of the morning working on repairs for the castle. Actually, he had been working on repairs to the castle for the better part of the last few days. Hogwarts was still in shambles after the battle and Harry hoped that if he could just piece his home back together, maybe everything would be all right. It was childish thinking, he knew it. But still. 

“I’m starting to think you’re avoiding me.” Harry jerked at the sound of someone speaking. He had been so focused he hadn’t heard someone walking over the rubble. He turned and immediately wished he wasn’t trapped at the top of the Astronomy tower.

“Hey, Ginny.” Harry lowered his wand. He didn’t know when he had raised it. Maybe he hadn’t lowered it from his work. That was a charitable thought. And not true. He knew he had raised it in defense when he heard her voice. 

“You keep going off by yourself.” Ginny approached him and he did not want to have this conversation. 

“There’s a lot of work to do. It seems silly to only work in one section at a time with a big group.” Harry shrugged and turned back to his work. 

“Mum is worried about you.” Ginny hesitated. “I’m worried about you.” 

“I’m fine.” 

“Really? Is that why you just raised your wand at me?” Harry sighed and pushed his fingers through his hair. 

“Ginny, I’m fine. Really.” 

“Then come back to The Burrow with us.” She touched his arm and he flinched but didn’t pull back. 

“I can’t.” 

“Why not?” 

“Because I need to be here. Hogwarts was the first place that felt like home. I have to help put it back together.” 

“You can help just as well from the Burrow.” 

“What do you want, Ginny?” Her hand dropped away. 

“I think we need to talk. And you’ve pretty much refused to be alone with me for more than a minute.” 

“I’ve been busy.” 

“Harry! At least look at me!” Harry sighed but turned to look at her. She was  right of course. They did need to talk. And he had been avoiding her. But he owed her more than sullen silence and stubborn avoidance. 

“I’m sorry, Ginny. I just...” He trailed off. “We do need to talk. I just can’t right now.” 

“Harry...” Ginny sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. “I can’t keep waiting for you. I’m not  gonna just sit around and wait for you to get your shite together.” 

“I’m not asking you to. I never have.” 

“What happened, Harry? We were getting so close and I thought things were going--” 

“Merlin, Ginny, I died!” Harry shouted and turned away again. “I died. And Fred died. And Lupin and Tonks and Colin and Dobby and... Look at the castle for Christ’s sake! I can’t just...I can’t go back to how things were. Not after...not after everything that happened.” 

“I’m well aware of who died, Harry. I was there. In case you forgot.” Her tone was icy and Harry couldn’t even be angry. She had every right. Just like Ron did. “So, what, you don’t want to be with me anymore?” 

“I don’t know. Ginny, I don’t know. I don’t know what I want.” That was another lie. Harry knew exactly what he wanted. He wanted everyone to stop asking him if he was okay. He wanted to not be having this conversation. He wanted to curl up in a ball in his four-poster and forget that any of this had ever happened. But he didn’t have that luxury. 

Harry was getting so damn tired of people asking if he was okay. Did he look okay? Did any of them look okay? What about this whole stupid thing was okay? It was a really dumb question and he was having to swallow a lot of bitterness and anger every time he heard it. He supposed that maybe they were all supposed to be happy. They had won, after all. Hadn’t they? Most days, it didn’t feel like it. 

“Yeah, okay. We can talk about this later?” 

“Yeah, definitely.”

“Okay. I’d come down for lunch today if I were you. Mum might send out a search...party...” The brief teasing tone faded out. They seemed to remember at the same time that there had been search parties for Harry. He had been a wanted fugitive after all. An uncomfortable silence fell over them until she cleared her throat. 

“Right. Well...see you later.” He heard her footsteps retreat back down the stairs and he felt the tension bleed from him slowly. 

This all felt so familiar. Like he had been here before. And he supposed he had. In some way. He had pushed people away in  Fifth year too. Well, shoved was more like it. Harry hadn’t wanted anyone around then either. He felt too raw and exposed. His every emotion was too damn close to the surface and he was having an even worse time than usual keeping himself under control. 

Of course, all of that only made him feel worse. Because after all, in fifth year, he had been harboring a piece of Tom Riddle’s soul. And that piece of soul was gone now. Or it was supposed to be. Harry didn’t know now if all of his negative emotions were his own. Every time he fell asleep, he was set upon by more nightmares. Some nights, it was back in the graveyard of Little  Hangleton . Surrounded by all the ghosts that Harry and Voldemort had created. Other times, it was in the clearing of the Forbidden Forest where Harry had died. Here he would find himself in the company of Death Eaters. Taunted and tortured and tormented. Jeered at and sneered at and mocked. 

There were a few doomed souls that overlapped from the graveyard and the forest. Severus Snape, of course, was present in every nightmare. But, far more troubling, was Draco Malfoy. He was in the graveyard towards the end, standing with all the people he had let down but managed not to get killed. And in the graveyard, Draco looked the way he had standing in Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom in Sixth year. He asked Harry why he hadn’t done more to stop him. To help him. To do anything. Meanwhile, in the forest, Draco looked more like he had before the Dark Mark. He sneered and mocked at his father’s side. 

After a week of nightmares, Harry had stopped going to sleep. On purpose at least. He would still pass out in the common room. Or in the corridor where the Room of Requirement had once been. Or the old Potions classroom. The key was to keep himself busy. Which was why he spent most of his time on repairs. Put the castle back together and maybe it would put him back together. 

Harry sighed and slid down the wall of the Astronomy tower.  He pushed his glasses up on top of his head and rubbed his eyes. What the fuck was he doing? Some logical part of him knew that he should reaching out, confiding in his friends, and asking for help. But there was a reason that the Sorting Hat had never once accused him of being a Ravenclaw. Logic was for Ravenclaws and Slytherins. A much bigger part of Harry, the reckless, self-sacrificing asshole with a savior complex, knew that he should just keep it all inside. His friends were all hurting. They had all lost actual family and lifelong friends. Even the people Harry had known the longest...he had still only met them when he was 11. 

“Your girlfriend seems to think that I’ve come up here to hex you.” Draco spoke somewhere behind him. 

“Not my girlfriend.” 

“Does she know that?” 

“Honestly...I don’t know.” Harry sighed and Draco huffed out a laugh. 

“Merlin, but you are hopeless, Potter.” Harry looked up at the blurry image of Draco as he walked by. “I’m surprised you’re up here of all places.” 

“Oh, you know. I love to spend time in all the places of this castle that I failed someone.” Harry shrugged. “I was so angry at Snape. It never occurred to me that I should have been just as pissed at Dumbledore.” 

“What? Nothing for me?” Draco leaned back against the railing and crossed his arms. 

“No.” 

“No? Do you and I not remember that night the same?” 

“I think we remember it quite differently actually.” Harry put his glasses back on. “You were closer to the stairs. Dumbledore was just there. I was roughly in the same spot. Covered with my cloak. I should have fought harder against that damn freezing charm.” 

“It wouldn’t have mattered, Harry.” Draco was looking at him oddly. He didn’t like it. 

“No. No, it wouldn’t have. Snape had his orders, after all.” Harry laughed once, mirthless and bitter. “You know, Dumbledore was a lot like the Dursleys. All that year, I knew, I  _ knew _ you were behind all the attacks. I knew you were up to something. But nobody would hear it. I was crazy, obsessed, delusional... He could have just told me. It would have saved us all so much trouble. But no. Hermione called it something...when I told her about how the Dursleys always called me crazy and a freak when strange things happened around me . When they knew it was magic.” 

“Gaslighting.” Harry looked up at Draco. “It’s a Muggle psychological term. It would explain why Granger knew it.” 

“Then how do you?” 

“Because I am just that bloody brilliant.” He pushed back from the railing and walked over to Harry. Draco sat down beside him. “Who are the Dursleys?” 

“They’re uh...they’re my...” Family? Guardians? “Muggles.” 

“You own Muggles? Merlin, and you got so high and mighty about  house elves.” 

“Piss off.” Harry knocked his shoulder against Draco’s. “My Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. They uh...they raised me. After my parents died.” 

“And they called you crazy? When you had accidental magic episodes as a child?” 

“They thought they could...stamp the magic out of me. It didn’t work. Dudley, my cousin, he didn’t know about magic. But he treated me the way his parents treated me. Little bit like you.” Harry shrugged again. “Children learn by watching their parents.” 

“They...they never told you? That you were a wizard? That you were Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived?” 

“Nope. They told me that my parents died in a car accident. That was how I got my scar. According to them, my dad was a drunk, unemployed, lay about. And my mum was crazy. When my Hogwarts letter came, they were furious. Merlin, I really was so stupid. Still am. I should have hid the damn thing in my cupboard before they saw it.” 

“I’m sorry, your what?” Harry looked over at his companion and it suddenly occurred to him just what he was saying. He was talking to Draco Malfoy about his childhood. A childhood that Draco had absolutely no knowledge of. Ron and Hermione knew enough. That had always been unavoidable. 

“Nothing. Forget I said anything.” Harry stood up then and walked over to the railing. “We got off topic. My point was, that night, there were two adults who had been lying to me for years. And there was a peer, a teenager, tasked with the assassination of the most powerful wizard in a century. A terrified child just trying to protect his family and himself. I just wish I had seen it sooner.” 

“Are you responsible for every person in the world, then, Harry?” 

“Just for their deaths.” Harry looked out over the grounds of the castle. Hagrid’s hut was still in ruins. There were sections of the Forest that were missing huge chunks of trees. It had been ravaged by the giants and the  acromantulas . The Black Lake was eerily still. The giant squid appeared to still be in hiding after the events of the Battle. Harry envied him. He jolted when he felt a hand on his arm. 

“Harry, you have to stop.” Draco sounded tense, almost angry. Harry turned to look at him. “None of this was your fault.” 

“Draco, I can’t...I don’t know how...” Harry was shaking and he didn’t bother to put up any resistance when Draco pulled him in for a hug. 

In addition to everything else, Harry was trying to deal with whatever this was with Draco. They had many stolen moments together around the castle in the past week. Not planned or on purpose. Almost as though they were drawn to each other. Almost as though the castle was pulling them together. And Harry was so grateful. Draco listened. And he did his best to offer comfort. In whatever form. Harry tried his best to reciprocate. When Draco would break down about using Unforgivable Curses, about his home being invaded by Voldemort and Fenrir  Greyback , how he was terrified of possibly going to Azkaban. Harry would tell him about the Gringotts break in, where he had used the  Imperius Curse. He told Draco about the many times he had tried and succeeded to use the  Cruciatus Curse. And he would hold him and reassure him that Harry would never allow him to go to Azkaban. 

Sometimes they would snog. And when they did, Draco would push him against the wall, pin him in place. Harry thrilled at his touch, at the sounds Draco made when their clothed cocks aligned, at the look in his eyes as he pulled on Harry’s hair. He had always thought he was straight. Or maybe he hadn’t given it much thought at all. Not until Cedric. Not until the summer after the Triwizard Tournament. When Dudley had mocked him for crying out for Cedric in his nightmares.  _ Who’s Cedric? Your boyfriend? _

The Dursleys hated different. They liked white, British, God fearing straight people. Harry already had so many strikes against him with his family. His skin tone was too dark, his father  had been  too Indian, and his magic was definitely an abomination against God as far as they were concerned . Could Harry really stand to be gay too? Had he been attracted to Cedric? Had he been attracted to Draco? 

Harry had convinced himself that he was straight. 100%, definitely straight. He was just...secure enough in his sexuality that he could admit when another bloke was attractive. Cedric had been attractive. Viktor Krum was attractive. And of course, Draco Bloody Malfoy was absolutely fit. Even when he was a prat. That smug, posh look and his sneering smirk made Harry’s blood sing. He had always thought it was for a fight. But looking back on it, his blood had been singing for something much more than that. 

That first night that they had found some semblance of comfort with each other, Harry had let it happen without a thought. Draco was offering care and sanctuary. And Harry let himself have it. He deserved some kind of...something after all he had been through, right? Harry had given in and given up. And Draco had answered. Now he had to figure out what the fuck it all meant. Was he gay? Was he straight? Was he bi? Did he want Ginny? Did he want Draco? Did he want anything anymore?

“When is the last time you got any sleep?” Draco was quiet as he brushed his fingers through Harry’s hair. 

“I’m fine.” 

“Harry...” Draco pulled back to look down at him. “You look awful.” 

“Oh, thanks so much.” Harry rolled his eyes but let his head fall back against  Draco’s shoulder. 

“Nightmares?” Draco resumed running his fingers through his hair. Harry simply nodded and he sighed. “You need to sleep, you idiot.” 

“Isn’t that a bit of the cauldron calling the kettle black?” 

“No. I am speaking from experience. You need to sleep.” 

“Every time I close my eyes...he’s there.” A shudder ran down his spine and Draco tightened his grip. 

“I know. Believe me, I know.” Draco rested his cheek on the top of Harry’s head. “Maybe we could sleep together.” 

“Thought we decided that we were not shagging.” 

“Not like that. Do you just spend all of your time thinking about me fucking you?” Harry choked on nothing at the change in verbiage. Draco chuckled. “Don’t be such a prude. I only meant that perhaps if we kept each other company at night, we would get some sleep.” 

“It couldn’t hurt.” Harry shrugged. He tried not to think of falling asleep with Draco’s arms wrapped around him. Or how safe and warm he had felt that first night. How nice it would be to fall asleep with Draco. Wake up with Draco. Fuck. “ D’you think we could sleep in Gryffindor Tower this time? Sleeping in the Slytherin dorm threw me off.” 

“I suppose.” Draco laughed softly. “That might actually attract less attention. Quite a few Slytherin families are down there.” 

“What for?” 

“...Waiting for the  Aurors to come arrest them.” 

“Oh. Right. Trying to sleep surrounded by people who tried to kill me probably wouldn’t help with my sleep.” 

“It certainly doesn’t help mine.” Draco pulled back from him. “I believe I heard  your not girlfriend tell you that you should go down for lunch. Lest Molly Weasley hunt you down.” 

“She can be a bit frightening when she wants.” 

“I know. She defeated Aunt Bella after all.” Harry wanted to snort.  _ Aunt Bella _ ...but he still called his family aunt and uncle. He didn’t have much room to talk. 

“It was possibly the most satisfying moment of my whole life. No offense.” 

“None taken. She was...well, you know. I barely knew her before she went to Azkaban and when she came  back she was so hellbent on being the Dark Lord’s right hand. She even frightened Mother towards the end.” 

“It was a bit like watching Hermione slap you in third year.” 

“Don’t remind me.” 

“You deserved it.” They both jumped and Harry had his wand in his hand and raised before he could think about it. Hermione raised both her hands up. “I’m sorry, Harry. I didn’t mean to sneak up on you.” 

“It’s fine, Hermione. Just...I did the same thing to Ginny.” 

“She told me.” Hermione crossed over to them and Harry bit his lip to keep from laughing when Draco tensed. 

“We should all just be thankful that the worst you would do is disarm us.” Draco smirked. 

“Hey, it defeated Voldemort, all right?” Harry crossed his arms defensively and Draco laughed. 

“I was just coming to see if you both wanted to come down to the Great Hall.” Hermione managed a smile for Draco and he seemed taken aback by the gesture. 

“Yeah, we were just going down.” Harry grabbed  Draco’s hand and watched his friend’s expression. Hermione’s gaze flickered briefly to their clasped hands but her smile didn’t falter. 

“Good. We should hurry down before Ron eats everything.” Hermione turned and started down the stairs back to the main floors of the castle. Harry followed behind her and tugged Draco behind with him. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Draco dropped his hand. 

“You okay?“ 

“Yes. I just...I don’t think either of us want to draw any further attention to ourselves.” 

“I guess so.” They continued the walk down to the Great Hall in companionable silence. Harry had been avoiding the scene of his last panic attack the last few days. As they neared the Entrance Hall, they could hear some kind of commotion. 

Aurors stood at the door of the Entrance Hall, effectively blocking the only exit. A slow procession of people were coming up from the dungeons and Harry felt a jolt of discomfort. He reached for Draco again. He took Harry’s hand and squeezed tightly. They had known that this was coming. And Draco had even been fairly calm about the whole thing. But that didn’t mean he should be fine now. Even Hermione stopped on the last landing and glanced back at them. Her eyes found their clasped hands again and her face set in  quiet determination. 

“ Auror Shacklebolt , what is going on?” Hermione moved forward and Harry pulled Draco back into the shadows. 

“Harry, stop. It’s fine.” Draco attempted to pull away but Harry held tight. 

“Just wait.” Harry hated the pleading tone in his voice. 

“Ms. Granger. A pleasure to see you again.” Kingsley turned to smile at her. “The Ministry is finally under some semblance of control. We’re here to apprehend the last of the Death Eaters.” 

“Oh. Is the  Wizengamot prepared to hold trials?” 

“Not as such, no. Those waiting to stand trial will be held in Azkaban until such time that their cases can  be heard.” 

“Azkaban? But...the dementors...” 

“Are no longer working for the Ministry. But Azkaban still has powerful wards in place. And  of course the location.” 

“When will they be able to stand trial?” 

“It’s unclear, yet, Ms. Granger. The Wizarding community is keen to put this whole war behind us. The Ministry and the  Wizengamot are scrambling to hold trials as soon as possible. But it could be weeks.” Harry felt Draco tense beside him. 

“And the children of the Death Eaters?” 

“Professor McGonagall has been gracious enough to offer to hold them here until such a time as we can figure out what can be done with them.” Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy brought up the rear of the small procession up from the dungeons. The days following the final battle had not been particularly kind to them. Or any of the Death Eaters that had been cooped up in the dungeons. Narcissa was looking around the Entrance Hall, clearly trying to lay eyes on her son. 

“We’re missing a Malfoy.” One of the  Aurors supplied as she came up the stairs. “Searched the entire dungeons and the dorms for him.” 

“That’ll be Draco Malfoy then.”  Shacklebolt sighed. He turned to Lucius and Narcissa. “You know that you cannot keep him from the Ministry, Lucius. You may as well give him up.” 

“I appreciate the vote of confidence that I would be so foolish as to try and pull one over on you, Kingsley, however I do not know the current whereabouts of my son.” Lucius still managed to sneer up at the Auror. 

“Narcissa?” 

“If I knew where my son was, I assure you, I would not divulge the information just so he can be carted off to prison.” Narcissa snapped. Harry wondered if maybe they could be friendly  some day . She had saved his life after all. And she was just as fiercely protective of the people she loved as he was. 

“I know you wish to protect your son. But hiding him will only make things worse.” Harry and Draco traded glances before Draco finally pulled away from Harry. 

“I’m right here.” Draco walked down the stairs and Harry wanted desperately to kiss him in that moment. “No need to make such a fuss over one Death Eater,  Auror Shacklebolt , surely.” 

“My apologies, Mr. Malfoy. If you would.” He gestured over to his parents and Draco went without further comment. Narcissa gripped his shoulders tightly. Harry walked down the stairs finally. Luckily nobody was paying much attention to him. What with the Entrance Hall full of  Aurors and Death Eaters and students and  professors.

“That’s all of ‘ em ,  Shacklebolt .” The other  Auror spoke. 

“All right, Savage. Go ahead and take them into custody.” The  Aurors that had been standing in the doorway walked forward and started grabbing Death Eaters. They twisted their arms behind their backs and cast  Incarcerous charms to hold them. Harry stood beside Hermione and she took his hand and squeezed. He watched the scene and was surprised when only a few put up any resistance. Perhaps they figured it wasn’t worth the effort. It wasn’t until the female  Auror , Savage, grabbed Draco and pulled him from Narcissa, twisting his hands behind his back that Harry broke. 

“ Auror Shacklebolt.” His voice carried easily over the muttered curses and charms. Kingsley turned to look at him and gave him a small smile. 

“Good to see you, Harry.” 

“I wish I could say the same.” Harry pulled away from Hermione. “Can I ask why you feel the need to place these Death Eaters, already being held in Hogwarts under multiple wards of  it’s own, under arrest and take them to Azkaban?” 

“They can’t stay in the castle, Harry. There aren’t enough professors to keep them in line.” 

“In the days since the battle, not a single one of them has caused any disturbance.” 

“That’s hardly the point.”  Kinglsey crossed his arms. Savage was watching the discussion closely, but not as closely as Narcissa and Draco. 

“I heard you say that the Ministry was finally under control but is Azkaban? There was a mass breakout only a little more than a year ago. Is it able to take on so many new occupants? Have the previously falsely imprisoned been released?” He noticed several of the  Aurors shift uncomfortably. How many had helped to round up  Muggleborns and rebels against the new regime? Their discomfort gave him a strange, twisted satisfaction. 

“You make a good point, Harry.” Kingsley seemed reluctant to admit it. “But I can’t allow dangerous criminals to  mill about Hogwarts.” 

“I agree.” Harry crossed his arms and studiously did not look at Draco. He couldn’t let Kingsley or anyone in the room know that he was interceding in  Auror business for his...not boyfriend. How did he have a not girlfriend  _ and _ a not boyfriend? Ugh. “I suggest that the decidedly less dangerous criminals remain here.” 

“They’re all dangerous, Potter. Otherwise we wouldn’t arresting them.” Savage interjected. “ Shacklebolt , tell me you’re not listening to the Boy Wonder.” 

“Narcissa and Draco Malfoy are hardly dangerous. Mrs. Malfoy doesn’t even have the Dark Mark. As for Draco, any crimes he committed as a Death Eater were coerced under duress and threat to his life and his family’s lives.” Harry levelled a glare at Savage. “If you plan to lock up everyone who committed an Unforgivable Curse...” He held his own arms out. “You might as well take me as well.” There was a shiver throughout the room at his words. People started to murmur and whisper. 

“I’m sure whatever you did, you did for the greater good.” Kingsley raised an eyebrow. 

“I wish that were the case.” Harry shrugged. His eyes found McGonagall who looked torn between pride and annoyance. “My point is that it seems unnecessary to lock up people who didn’t really do anything wrong. No more than I did.” Kingsley appraised him for a minute before he finally nodded. 

“All right, Mr. Potter. Mrs. Malfoy and Draco will remain here at the castle. And we will review the rest of the Death Eaters charges here and see if any of the rest of them are fit to stay here until their trial.” 

“Thank you,  Auror Shacklebolt . We can put them to work helping with repairs. We can use all the help we can get.” Harry grinned at Kingsley who gave him a smile in return. He started to turn, his eyes finally settled on Draco and his mother. Narcissa looked faint with relief and Draco had one of her hands squeezed in his. As one, they turned to Lucius to say their farewells. A small part of Harry felt guilty that he hadn’t even tried to get the eldest Malfoy out of prison. But it hadn’t even occurred to him to try. Lucius Malfoy was a dangerous criminal.

“That was rather impressive.” Hermione linked her arm with his as they walked into the Great Hall. Harry shrugged. “I think it’s the most I’ve heard you speak in days.” 

“It didn’t seem right to let them take Narcissa and Draco.” 

“Oh, he’s  Draco now is he?” Hermione gave him a teasing smile. 

“Shut it.” Harry bit back his own smile. He spotted the rest of the Weasleys sitting at what had once been the Gryffindor table. Well, almost all of them. He stopped walking and Hermione jolted to a halt. She looked back at Harry and followed his line of sight. 

“Harry, nobody blames you for his death.” He raised an eyebrow. “Nobody but you.” Hermione rolled her eyes. “Come on. Mrs. Weasley is worried. 

“Okay.” He reluctantly continued over to the table. Bill and Fleur were sitting off to the far side of the family. Everyone seemed only too happy to give them space. And do their level best to ignore the fact that Fleur was in fact sitting in Bill’s lap and not on the bench. George, Ginny, and Percy were arguing about Quidditch like it was any other day. But Harry could see the tension in their faces. The way when George laughed it didn’t sound right. It took him a minute to realize that it was missing Fred’s laugh. 

Arthur and Molly were sitting opposite the group of their children. Mr. Weasley had a tight smile on his lips as he listened to the good-natured argument over which team had the better shot in the upcoming match. Mrs. Weasley kept stealing glances at Bill and Fleur. Beside her sat Charlie. Harry was only a little surprised to see the other Weasley son. He must be here for the upcoming funeral. Molly had her arm around him while he talked to Ron. Charlie was using huge hand gestures in his story about dragons but was careful not to disturb his mother. Ron was doubled over in laughter. 

“Imagine my surprise when we get owl after owl reporting an ancient, blind dragon flying over Britain!” Charlie shoved his brother. 

“You’re just jealous that I got to be the big dragon rescuer this time.” Ron laughed. His eyes fell on Hermione and Harry and he beamed. “Mate, Charlie got that dragon we nicked to Romania.” 

“Gringotts didn’t demand it back?” 

“Oh, they did.” Charlie gave him a grin. “But when we told them that they would have quite the contingency of outraged wizards on their hands if they imprisoned the dragon that helped Harry Potter defeat You-Know-Who, they were willing to allow the dragon to be taken to the sanctuary.” 

“They’ve also agreed to drop any and all charges against us once we made it clear that they had been harboring several dark artifacts, including a horcrux.” Hermione sat next to Ron with an almost haughty air about her. Harry hadn’t even thought about that. 

“And your parents?” 

“I decided to wait until after most of the damage was reversed. After all,  Aurors are still rounding up Death Eaters. I want to be sure they’re safe before I bring them back.” 

“Harry, dear!” Molly turned to him and pulled him into a fierce hug before he had time to dodge it. “We’ve been worried about you! Are you feeling all right? You look a bit peaky. And tired. Have you been sleeping? Did you eat this morning?” 

“Mum, let him breath.” Charlie laughed and Harry cursed the sudden awareness that he was definitely attracted to men and was more than happy to snog them breathless. It wasn’t that Charlie was the only Weasley that was attractive. It had a lot to do with the fact that Harry had practically grown up with the rest of the brood. But he could count on one hand the number of times he had seen Charlie Weasley. 

“Mr. Potter.” Harry tensed for a moment before he forced himself to relax. He turned to look at Narcissa Malfoy. She gave him a tight smile that was as forced as his calm demeanor was. “I wanted to thank you. For defending my son and me.” 

“There’s no need, Mrs. Malfoy.” Harry ignored the stares of his adopted family and the quiet whispers. “It was the least I could do. After what you and Draco have done for me. And. ..neither of you deserve to be in Azkaban.” He registered the look of surprise on her face before she gave him a small smile, more genuine than the previous one. 

“You are full of surprises, Mr. Potter.” 

“I owe you and Draco my life. I’m just trying to make sure that you both didn’t waste the effort.” Harry shrugged. He felt Molly’s hand on his shoulder. The two mothers shared a look over him and he suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. Harry glanced at Draco as he mouthed ‘mothers’. 

“Let me assure you, Harry, that just being able to find my son made my simple little lie well worth it.” Draco grimaced at the words and Harry almost laughed. “I apologize for  interrupting. Come, Draco.” Narcissa gave Molly one last look that Harry could not discern before she turned and walked back out of the Great Hall. Draco turned to follow her and Harry grabbed the sleeve of his robe. 

“You okay?” Draco looked passed him to the Weasleys before he gazed at Harry. 

“I’m fine. Find me later?” Harry nodded and let him go. 

“What the bloody hell was that about?” Ron half shouted before he choked. Harry looked at him to see Hermione glaring at him and Charlie had his elbow in  Ron’s ribs. 

“Harry has the right idea, Ron.” Arthur spoke up and all eyes turned to him in surprise. “While I may never be able to forgive Lucius Malfoy or the other Death Eaters that terrorized the Ministry and my family, we shouldn’t hold grudges. Best to heal and move on.” 

“But...it’s Malfoy!” Ron did shout with indignation this time. 

“Yes, it is Malfoy. Malfoy, who had every chance to turn Harry over at the Manor a couple months ago. But he didn’t.” Hermione reminded her...not boyfriend? How had all of their love lives become so complicated in the last week? Probably because they no longer had to be concerned about making it to the next day alive. Ron opened his mouth to protest but Charlie beat him to it. 

“Come on, Harry. Mum is right. You do look a little peaky.” Charlie pulled down Harry down to sit between him and Molly. “You and Ron can row all you want after we eat.” 

Harry did not wait around to have that row with Ron. He didn’t have the energy to go five rounds over Draco and Narcissa and what they did or didn’t deserve. Instead, he had ducked out of lunch as soon as he could do so without a fuss from Molly. The castle wasn’t going to piece itself back together after all. He climbed back up to the Astronomy Tower to finish up with what he started there. It didn’t hurt that the tower was fairly removed from the rest of the castle. 

After he had finished the repairs up there, or what he could do without help, he moved down to the seventh-floor corridor. By now it was definitely dinner time. But Harry had spent enough time around people. It had been nice, actually. About halfway through lunch, Harry had finally been able to look at George without actively flinching. Charlie had been a warm presence at his side. Warm because he had been in Romania for most of the war. He didn’t have the same nightmares as the rest of them.

Against his better judgement, Harry decided to see if he could get into the Room of Requirement. None of them had tried since the  fiendfyre had enveloped the Room of Hidden Things. Not since Vincent Crabbe had fallen victim to his own spell. Not since Harry had gone back to save Draco. He was fairly certain that the room was likely destroyed. But it had meant quite a bit to him. It was in that room that Harry had undermined Umbridge and Fudge and the Ministry and everyone who called him an attention seeking liar. That was the room where he had learned that he was a pretty good teacher. And it was where he had his first kiss. 

He walked along the hallway, thinking over and over again,  _ I need to hide something. _ After three paces back and forth, there was no door. Harry heaved a sigh. It wasn’t a surprise but still. It was disappointing. He slid down the wall opposite where the door should have been and sighed. Harry missed Sirius every day but today especially he wished he could talk to his godfather. Maybe Sirius would have words of wisdom for his suddenly complicated love life. Or lack of one. Or maybe Lupin could even help shed some light on the matter. Hell, he would take Dumbledore at this point. Wait. Maybe he could talk to Dumbledore. 

Harry jumped up and started for the Headmaster’s office. In the last few years, he had become very accustomed to the path to the office. He could only hope it was open and McGonagall hadn’t taken over yet. Though it was possible she wasn’t quite ready to. She had been ready to take over from Dumbledore, of course. But now the office had belonged to the duplicitous Severus Snape for the last year. 

The spiral staircase was already visible and Harry breathed a sigh of relief. While Dumbledore would not be his first choice in confidant right now, it was better than nothing. He ascended the stairs slowly, remembering all the times he had climbed these stairs. Sometimes with dread low in his stomach. And other times with his blood racing with adrenaline. Now, as he dragged himself up the stairs, he almost wished he felt any of that. Instead he just felt so completely exhausted. 

The office was much the way it had been when Dumbledore had been headmaster. Maybe a tad darker. Snape was used to working in the dungeons after all. Harry could still remember breaking those fragile glass instruments. He could remember his voice hoarse from screaming abuse at the old man. The anger and grief and shame he had felt in that moment. How stupid Harry had been to think that would be the worst day of his life. 

“Harry.” He jerked his head at the voice. Albus Dumbledore was smiling down at him from his portrait behind the desk. “I must say, I am rather surprised to see you. I would have thought you would be with Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger celebrating.” 

“ Er , well, don’t feel much like celebrating.” Harry shrugged and dropped into his usual chair. “ Plus Ron and Hermione aren’t as bad as Bill and Fleur but still. I’d rather not spend too much time with them at the moment. Sure they’ve gone back to the Burrow.” 

“And you have remained behind at the castle?” 

“I wanted to help with repairs.” Harry flinched under his old headmaster’s searching gaze. “And I can’t really go back there. Not right now.” 

“Ah. I see.” 

“Do you?” Harry glanced up at the portrait and felt a little of his anger rise up again.

“Unfortunately, Harry, I see all too well. There is a reason that my brother and I became so estranged that you never even knew about him. Or my sister. I am well acquainted with the feelings of shame and guilt when it comes to loved ones being harmed on your watch.” 

“Right.” Harry sighed and leaned his head back on the chair. He stared up at the ceiling and wondered why he had bothered. 

“However, you must know that you are not at fault for any of their deaths. You did everything in your power to keep them safe.” 

“Do you remember the day Sirius died?” 

“I do.” 

“And do you remember how angry I was. And you told me that you should have been more up front with me. About Voldemort. About his plans. About everything.” 

“I do.” 

“Why didn’t you just tell me then? You know I would have done it. You know I still would have hunted down every last horcrux. You know I would still have died to save my friends. Why not just tell me?” 

“I hoped that by keeping you ignorant of your fate, that you might live as normal a life as was possible. I feared that if you knew how things would end, you would isolate yourself. Push away your friends that you would so desperately need in your journey.” 

“And?” 

“And I feared that Voldemort may glimpse the truth, making victory much more difficult.” Dumbledore sighed. “I am sorry, Harry. Truly I am. And I am also fiercely proud. You and Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger did what Voldemort always thought to be impossible. You walked to your death.” 

“Sir, is it...is it possible that there is still some piece of Voldemort inside  me? Even after everything?” Harry fiddled with his wand for  want of something to do with his hands. 

“No, Harry. Voldemort is dead. We all saw to it. But especially you. Is it possible that there may be lingering effects? Yes. Housing a horcrux in a living being is a dangerous business. Nobody has ever done it before. We cannot possibly know how you will be affected.” 

“Not exactly what I wanted to hear, professor.” Harry grumbled. “But thank you for at least being honest.” 

“It is the least that I can do for you, my dear boy.” They lapsed into silence for several minutes. 

“Sir? I don’t suppose...there isn’t a portrait of Sirius hanging around somewhere is there?” Harry chanced a look up at the portrait. 

“I am afraid not, Harry. Even if there had been  call to have one done, I doubt seriously that your godfather would have sat for one.” 

“Yeah, I didn’t think so.” Harry sighed. “I just...could really use my godfather right now. Or Lupin. Or my parents.” 

“I can only imagine.” Dumbledore leaned forward in his portrait. “Perhaps I can be of assistance, should you need it.” 

“You said...you owe me honesty, right?” 

“Of course.” 

“Can I ask about...about Grindelwald?” There was another silence that followed and Harry was sure that he had overstepped his bounds. 

“What about him?” Dumbledore finally spoke into the quiet of the office. 

“Did you...were you...” Harry groaned in frustration. He didn’t quite know what he wanted to ask. And he wasn’t sure he really wanted to hear the answer. 

“Are you, perhaps, attempting to ask if I was romantically involved with Gellert Grindelwald?” Dumbledore almost sounded amused and Harry finally looked up at the portrait again. His old headmaster was smiling. “We were, for a time, together. Before I saw what he truly was. Before I allowed myself to see what had always been there.” 

“Oh. Okay. That’s...thank you. For telling me.” 

“Harry?” Dumbledore raised an eyebrow as he appraised Harry over his half-moon spectacles. “I do hope that this is not about Mr. Weasley. As you had just mentioned that he and Ms. Granger had taken the next step in their relationship.” 

“No! No, Merlin, no. Not Ron. Definitely not. No.” Dumbledore smiled again. 

“Ah. Of course.” He leaned back in the chair. “Mr. Malfoy.” 

“Wait, why is that of course?”

“As I am sure you have realized, Harry, it is a very thin line between love and hate. Mr. Malfoy and yourself have always had a very...explosive relationship. For better or for worse. It does not come as a surprise to me that after the looming threat of Voldemort has been dispatched, you find yourself drawn to him.” 

“It  kinda surprised me.” Harry sighed. “I figured that Ginny and I would just...pick up where we left off  but...it doesn’t feel the same as it did before.” 

“Not an uncommon occurrence after traumatic events. Ms. Weasley experienced her fair share of trauma herself last year.” 

“So did Draco.” 

“I have no doubt. You know better than anyone what it means to live with Voldemort. We all experience trauma differently. And we all cope with it differently. Regrettably, you have had to endure more trauma than any person should. Do not be ashamed of your feelings, Harry. They have always been your greatest strength.” 

“...It’s not...normal though, is it?” 

“You have never been normal, I am afraid.” 

“But...being...attracted to...blokes too...” 

“Ah. I see what you mean.  To much of society, Harry, no, it is not normal. I can only imagine what your aunt and uncle had to say on the subject.” Dumbledore’s look grew dark. “But let me assure you that there is absolutely nothing wrong with you. Love is love. And love is the strongest force on this planet. Regardless of who that love is  between. I will not tell you that if you choose to pursue any attraction you may have for another man that the way will be easy. It is getting easier every year but, alas, not enough. You are correct in wanting to speak with Sirius on this matter.” 

“What do you mean?“ 

“Sirius himself was gay. Another reason that he had to flee from his family and take refuge with your father.”

“Wait...Sirius was...so him and Lupin?” Dumbledore beamed. 

“Yes. Their relationship was kept very quiet. For obvious reasons. Most of the new Order had no idea.” 

“But...Tonks and Teddy?” 

“What Remus had with Sirius is completely different than what he had with  Nymphadora . It does not make either relationship more or less than the other. Remus loved them both.” 

“So Lupin liked men and women?” 

“He did indeed.” 

“Oh. Okay.” He felt a bit overwhelmed. Dumbledore and Sirius were both gay. And Lupin was...bisexual? And it was okay but not as okay as it should be.

“You need not figure it all out right this second, Harry. In fact, you have your whole life to figure it out. And it is allowed to change. You are allowed to change.” Dumbledore gave him a small smile. “I have never been prouder of you. Don’t tell the others, but I think you may be my favorite student.” He winked and Harry laughed. He hadn’t realized he had been on the verge of tears until that moment. 

“Thank you, sir. I really appreciate this.” 

“Not at all, dear boy. But I do believe that you need some sleep now. Go on. I will be here if you should need my counsel, Harry.” 

“Thank you, professor, really.” Dumbledore gave him a little wave as Harry crossed the office to the door. 

The headmaster had given him a lot to think about. Why had Sirius never told him? Or Lupin? Why did everyone always want to keep things from him? Harry wasn’t really surprised though. Sirius had been an attractive young man after all. And he hadn’t given any of the girls around the lake that day a second look. Not like his father had. All of the pictures of them from their school days and during the war, there was never anyone else with Sirius. Or Lupin. 

And when he had read the horrible biography of Dumbledore, he had got the sense that Dumbledore and Grindelwald were more than just close friends. Rita Skeeter had couched the language and used euphemisms, of course, but her meaning had been fairly clear. He wondered how many people had been surprised by the information as he had been. Or maybe they were happy to live ignorant of Skeeter’s real meaning. If this war had taught him anything, it was that people were happy to live in ignorance. 

It was nice to know that Harry wasn’t alone though. Three of the most important men in his life had been gay or some variation of it. And Lupin had been with Sirius. And Tonks. Just like Harry had been attracted to Ginny and now found himself attracted to Draco. And it was okay. Sort of. Maybe. Hopefully the people that mattered would be okay with it. 

Harry found himself back in the seventh-floor corridor. He couldn’t be sure that Gryffindor Tower would be vacant. Or vacant enough for him to have some space. Out of habit in the space, he started pacing the hall. Dumbledore had told him that he didn’t need to figure everything out right away. Which was good because Harry had no idea what any of it meant. At least, not what it meant for him. Draco had seemed more than okay with snogging Harry and rubbing up against him. But would he ever want something more? Would he ever want that with Harry? Did Harry want that with Draco? And what about Ginny? 

A door appeared in the wall and Harry stopped dead in his tracks. The Room. It was still there. It was okay. He approached it cautiously. Like it would disappear if he moved too quickly. Harry reached out and twisted the door knob. The door opened to reveal what looked like a large and comfortable bedroom. There was a huge bed situated against one wall. It was similar to the four-poster bed he had in the dorms but much bigger. Two large armchairs faced a fireplace on the opposite wall and a sofa accompanied them. It was a place to think. And possibly sleep. 

Harry grinned and stepped into the room.  So the room itself remained. But the Room of Hidden Things was gone. It was a small price to pay in the long run. There was no fire burning in the hearth as it was still warm in the May evening. He walked over to one of the armchairs and dropped down into it. The chair was even comfier than it looked and he sighed as he sunk down. He was bone tired and he wanted to curl up in the huge bed and go to sleep. But he knew nightmares would plague him as they had every night. 

Draco had offered to keep him company though. Could he really share a bed with Draco and not want to do something more than sleep? Well, it was worth a shot to get some sleep at any rate. Harry conjured a quick Patronus.  _ I found a place to think in peace. Seventh floor. You know where. _ He sent the stag off to find Draco and leaned back in his chair to think. 

“Harry?” He jolted up out of the chair and nearly collided with Draco. “You fell asleep.” Draco had a small smile on his face. “I hate to wake you but the bed would be much more comfortable.” He held his hand out and Harry took it. 

“Guess I’m more tired than I thought.” Harry rubbed the back of his head and yawned. 

“Well you look pretty tired.” Draco pulled him over to the large bed. “I can’t believe this room is still here. I thought for sure it was gone.” 

“Well, the Room of Hidden Things is gone. I tried to get in earlier and nothing. I didn’t even mean to find this place. I was just...thinking and pacing. I’m glad it’s still here.” 

“As am I. It’s a nice middle ground for us to be.” Draco sat down on the bed and tugged until Harry fell down beside him. “Not the dungeons but not the tower either.” 

“How’s your mum?”

“Okay, all things considered.” 

“Fuck, I’m sorry, Draco. She probably needs you  right now. You should go be with her.” Harry sat up. 

“Oh stop.” Draco shoved him back down on the bed. “Mother doesn’t need me to fuss over her. She’ll be fine without me there.” 

“Are you sure?”

“Am I sure that I’m not going to leave you here to wallow in self-pity and guilt?” Harry shoved him and he  fell sideways onto the bed. 

“I do not wallow in self-pity.” 

“Fine. Just guilt then.” Draco rolled onto his back on the bed and held his arms out to Harry. “Come here.” Harry went to lay next to him and sighed when Draco wrapped his arms around him. 

“Draco?” 

“Mmmm?” 

“Do you...consider yourself...” Harry stared down at his hands. 

“Consider myself?” 

“Promise you won’t get mad.” 

“Mad? Why would I be mad?” 

“Just promise. Please.” Draco looked down at him and sighed. 

“Fine. I promise I won’t get mad. Now what is it?” 

“Are you gay?” Harry braced himself to be shoved away and shouted at. But he had not expected for Draco to burst out laughing. “Why is that funny?” He demanded. 

“I’m sorry, Harry. I shouldn’t laugh. I just...well I thought it was a bit obvious. What with the snogging you and rubbing up against you and holding your hand.” As if to prove his point, Draco reached down and took his hand, interlacing their fingers. “Are you not?” 

“I don’t know. I-I'd never thought about it until...until you.” 

“Well, I feel special.” Draco smirked. “I hate to be the one to tell you, Harry, but you just might be gay.” 

“Yeah. I...am definitely attracted to you. A lot.” Draco huffed out a laugh. “But I’ve fancied Cho and Ginny.” 

“So you think that you’re bisexual?” 

“Maybe.” 

“I could care less how you identify. As long as I still get to kiss the breath out of you.” 

“Yeah, yes. That. I definitely want to keep kissing you.” 

“Good.” Draco pulled him closer and kissed the top of his head. “Now, why did you think I should be mad at you for asking?” 

“Oh well, the Muggles liked to use it as an insult. So, even insinuating that someone might be gay, it could make them pretty mad.” Harry shrugged. “Dudley used to call me a fairy boy all the time.” 

“I see.” Draco sounded tense as he wrapped his arms tighter around Harry. “For now, I think you should get some sleep. Anymore sleepless nights and I won’t want to kiss that tired face of yours.”

“Shove off.” Harry sat up enough to look down at Draco. He leaned down and pressed their lips together in a brief, chaste kiss. 

“Go to sleep.” Draco pulled him back down next to  him. “I’m right here.” Harry closed his eyes and sighed softly at the knowledge that he wasn’t alone. Not right now. Not tonight. Tonight, he had Draco. He didn’t know exactly what it meant, but it made him feel warm and safe. And for tonight, that was enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Again, thank you all so much! I hope you enjoyed! Cuz there is more to come! Comments and kudos are life y'all!


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